Circumvent
by macrauchenia
Summary: "There's a blond investigator out there. He's young. Tell your team not to hurt him. Instead bring him to me. Alive." - To Kaneki, it's just another assignment: destroy as many investigators as possible. However, the mission takes a dramatic turn when he discovers that a certain blond is among the CCG's ranks.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Not a thing.

 **Author's Note:** Alright. Well, first of all, not going to lie, but I don't know where this is going to go. It's either going to be ridiculously depressing or ridiculously fluffy at the end. I haven't decided which. I just recently dove into the Tokyo Ghoul fandom and realized I will never be happy again, especially thanks to a certain blond angel _who is still currently missing. We need to find him right now._

Anyway, in terms of context for this story, it includes parts from the manga and the anime. This would occur before the Anteiku raid and draws heavily on the blossoming relationship between Hide, Akira, Amon, and Seidou as they work together as a team. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of this in the anime and very little in the manga, so I wanted to flesh it out a bit more. The main component from the anime is just Kaneki working for Aogiri instead of his little team. Hopefully it makes sense.

* * *

He pulled his flimsy cloak tighter around his shoulders and exhaled in the frigid, black night. Although he wasn't particularly cold, he enjoyed the nipping chill of the faint breeze and the sensation of icy solitude as he studied the twinkling lights of the city in the distance. Everything seemed so peaceful for once.

"Oi! One-Eye!"

Kaneki inhaled deeply through his nose. It seemed as if his short-lived silence was over for the moment. He turned to face the intruder, trying to keep the annoyed scowl from stretching across his blank features. He eyed his new partner, wishing that he hadn't been assigned to work with anyone, or at least someone who wasn't as foul as the ghoul in front of him.

"Yes?"

His visitor flicked back his cloak, revealing a toothy grin and flaring eyes. Rakko. A particularly nasty ghoul with a fondness for dragging out his victims deaths, forcing them to watch as he devoured them.

"It's almost time. They'll be here soon."

The white-haired teen nodded slowly. He couldn't afford to waste time staring at the city skyline when they had a job to prepare for. "I'll be with you in a second," he finally settled on, deeming a few more moments of peace to be harmless.

If the older ghoul seemed irritated by his superior's blatant lack of excitement for the impending battle, he didn't voice his concerns. He simply lifted an unreadable eyebrow and turned away, disappearing in the dark with a flutter of his maroon cape.

Kaneki sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, his fingers gliding seamlessly through the silken strands. He tightened the strap on his mask before pulling his cloak over his forehead.

Gravel crunched and headlights dimmed as their opponents surrounded the abandoned warehouse complex. They were attempting to be stealthy, traveling in the dark without lights or sound, but in the end, they only managed to stumble into the trap, completely blinded by their caution.

This night would serve as another firm message from the Aogiri Tree.

Their mission: destroy as many investigators as possible.

The white haired teen exhaled again, feeling his breath warm the thick material on the inside of his mask.

It was hard to keep fighting when there wasn't even a purpose. No goal in sight—just more carnage and hatred.

* * *

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Amon asked, lifting an unconvinced eyebrow as he studied the younger investigator.

His subordinate flashed the man a wide smile, forcing his expression to remain light and jovial despite the solemn atmosphere. "It's just a routine check, right? Simply following up on an anonymous tip."

Amon nodded slowly, unable to bury the churning in his gut. He _hated_ the feeling. He realized these hindering nerves only affected him when he felt like his subordinates were in danger. First when Akira was bitten by a ghoul at Kanou's lab, and then again when Seidou was ambushed during the pursuit of a rank B ghoul.

Now, Amon felt it again as the teen strapped on his helmet, concealing his shock of messy blond hair.

Before he had the chance to respond, Akira turned her blank stare on the newest addition to their team.

"You shouldn't be here," she began matter-of-factly, skewering him with narrowed blue eyes. "You have little formal training _and_ you're just an investigation assistant. At best, you'll slow us down. Worst case scenario—you'll get us all killed."

"Now, Akira—" Amon interrupted, trying to stop his partner before she became even harsher.

"There shouldn't be anything to worry about," the youngest team member insisted, though his earlier smile seemed a little strained. "It's just a routine check," he repeated.

"Yeah, nothing to worry about," Seidou echoed, trying to reassure himself more than anyone else.

Amon sighed, shaking his head at his assembled team. He didn't know why Marude added Nagachika's name to the list of investigators that were to participate in the raid, especially since investigation assistants rarely left the office during dangerous times. All he knew was that he certainly planned to question the man on his decision when they all returned, hopefully with all of their limbs attached.

"Just…just be careful. All of you," he added, sparing a glance to a bored Akira and a pale Seidou. "And Nagachika?"

"Yes?"

"Try not to wander off."

The blond offered the dark haired man a broad grin, his eyes scrunched in a cheeky wink. "I promise!"

Amon nodded, temporarily satisfied with his team's condition. He turned back to his Quinque case, checking to make sure everything was in order.

He never caught the distracted frown that flickered across Hide's face.

 _They wouldn't be deploying this many investigators for a "routine check,"_ the boy reasoned. _Something is definitely wrong._

* * *

As they stepped out of the armored vehicles, Hide was grateful for the thick padding of his uniform. It was far warmer than the outfit he would have worn if he hadn't been assigned to join the investigators—his civilian "stealth" ensemble as he affectionately dubbed it. One way or another, he knew he was going to participate in the CCG's raid, though he was relieved to be with fellow investigators than having to slink around in the dark by himself.

Hide exhaled in the frigid night, watching his breath swirl in the dull glow from the CCG van and the humming streetlamps.

"Nervous, Nagachika?"

Hide glanced to the brunet to his right. Although Hide was considerably apprehensive about their upcoming mission, he didn't feel nearly as nervous as his fellow investigator looked. Hide gave the young man a reassuring smile.

"A little bit," he admitted, "but the CCG investigates random tips all the time, don't they?" Hide flapped his hand at the wrist, as if dispelling any negative outcomes. "Besides, the main team already went in. We're just back up."

"H-how do you know?"

Hide blinked and scratched at his cheek with his index finger. "I, uh, just heard it on the comlink?" he offered, gesturing from his cheek to the tiny responder in his ear. He had overheard an earlier conversation that the first wave of the raid would move in at 23:00 and it was just a few minutes past that.

"Oh," Seidou glanced down at the tiny plastic piece in his palm before tucking it carefully into his ear. He listened for a moment with a distant expression before glancing back to Hide. "But I don't hear anything," he frowned at the blond.

"They must've switched to radio silence or something?" Hide shrugged, hoping the brunet would accept the answer. After another moment of listening and silent consideration, Seidou did with another nod.

"Yeah, probably."

They waited in silence for another moment until Amon and Akira joined them. Amon confirmed Hide's earlier statement with a brief report of the first wave's progress.

"So far they've had no confirmation of ghoul sightings, but they requested backup just in case. We're to assist them at the southern entrance and perform a quick sweep to the center of the building. Do you understand?"

His young subordinates nodded and Amon continued.

"At the current moment, there are no specific targets for this mission, but that is likely to change if ghouls are spotted." He hesitated before speaking next. "Our anonymous source seems to believe that the Aogiri may be involved in this warehouse, so make sure to watch for many of their higher ranked ghouls." Hide's eyes widened as he processed the news.

 _Aogiri? But that might mean—_

"And above al—" Amon cut off as the sound of screams filled their earpieces. He grunted as his hand flew to his ringing comlink. He fell deathly silent, waiting for further communication. Sounds from their companions washed over them in the cold stillness. All four investigators winced as their fears were confirmed by panicked shouts and dying groans.

" _This is Squad Leader Kimu Tokana. We request back up at the south si—argh…."_

The message trailed off, much to the investigators' dismay.

Seidou swallowed thickly and glanced to the blond teen beside him. "Maybe this isn't going to be a routine check…"

Amon unlocked his Quinque case and straightened up with an ominous expression, his weapon clenched tightly in his fists.

"This is Koutarou Amon. We are on our way." He turned and surveyed his tiny team for a moment, considering each member before issuing the order to advance.

"Akira and Takizawa—you follow me. Nagachika, stay behind until we give you the signal to advance with us." He hesitated before turning back towards the warehouse. "Marude may have put you on the list, but until you have a Quinque and some proper training, you aren't coming in." Without glancing to his subordinates, Amon made his way towards the entrance.

"I understand."

"Sensible," Akira muttered, striding towards the darkened building. Seidou gave the blond one last hopeful look before trailing after them.

Hide watched them disappear in the shadows. He took a deep breath and adjusted his helmet.

 _Like hell am I just going to sit here and wait._

* * *

Kaneki watched from the rafters as the investigators and ghouls fought. The only light in the dark warehouse bay was the glow from the ghouls' kagune and the human's Quinque as they slashed and tore at each other. He swept his disinterested gaze from one end of the large room to the other, not looking for anyone in particular, but simply watching the carnage build.

"Oi! One-Eye! Aren't you going to do something? Or are you just going to sit around and watch?"

The white haired teen glanced down to see Rakko smirking at him, crimson dripping from his sharpened teeth and dribbling down his pale chin.

Kaneki bristled at the ghoul's blatant lack of respect for his assigned superior. He dropped from the rafters, landing lithely in a catlike crouch before straightening up slowly.

"Do you think this is all they have?" Kaneki hissed, eyeing the shredded corpses surrounding the massive concrete room. "This is just one of the warehouse's bays. There are at least four other squads coming to other parts of the building, including several with special investigators."

Rakko had the decency to look mildly concerned. "So?"

"So," Kaneki gritted, "there will be stronger investigators coming any moment."

The older ghoul studied the white haired teen for a moment. He opened his mouth to say something when a faint buzzing erupted from the comlink buried in a nearby corpse's ear.

" _tsss—this is—tss-Koutarou Amon-tsss."_

Kaneki frowned at the familiar voice. _Who… I know him… It's the investigator from—_

"Whudya know... More of those pigs are coming in." Rakko's bloody smile stretched across his gaunt face. "Just in time—I was starting to get hungry again."

The device's sound was distorted from the soldier's fatal injury to the head, but the ghoul could still make out what the investigators were saying. _It might be useful…_ he mused, bending down to pick it up.

" _tsss—you follow me—tsss—Nagachika-tsss—"_

Kaneki froze and jerked his hand back. _Nagachika….? It can't be Hide._ The device continued to crackle, relaying instructions, but Kaneki couldn't break free from the name.

"Did it shock you?" Rakko squinted at the buzzing piece of plastic. "It'd be just like them to bug their equipment so we can't use it against them."

"I—I…. No, it didn't shock me…" Kaneki slowly looked down at the device, still stained with the previous owner's blood.

 _Hide wouldn't be here. He's just a normal university student—not a_ ghoul _investigator._

" _tsss-I understand—tsss—"_

Before he could stop himself, Kaneki's fist collided with the device, smashing it and the human's skull into tiny, jagged pieces. He blinked at his handiwork, the crimson splatter staining his uniform and exposed cheek.

It was Hide's voice.

 _Hide's_ voice.

 _Hi…de….?_ Kaneki echoed numbly, too surprised to try to rationalize why he heard his best friend's voice on the other line.

Rakko watched with thinly veiled amusement. He crossed his arms and his eyebrow rose higher on his forehead. Kaneki realized he hated the ghoul's mocking, repetitive habit.

"Care explaining?"

 _I…I don't even know._

Kaneki straightened up and rubbed the blood from his cheek with the back of his hand.

"There's a blond investigator out there. He's young. Tell your team not to hurt him. Instead, ah, bring him to me. _Alive."_

Rakko crossed his arms, a dark sneer lifting on his stained lips. "I wasn't under the impression that this was a _take prisoners_ kind ofmission. We were told to leave no survivors."

Kaneki surged towards the older ghoul, wrapping his clenched fists into the man's cloak. Although Kaneki was significantly shorter than the other ghoul, he yanked Rakko down to his eye level. Kaneki's ghoul eye blazed crimson as he pulled Rakko in close enough to smell the sweet tang of blood on his tongue.

"I _said,_ " Kaneki growled menacingly at his subordinate, "tell your _team_ not to _hurt_ _him._ " He held that pose for a moment before releasing Rakko. The taller ghoul stepped back, brushed out the wrinkles in his cloak, and glared defensively at the white haired ghoul.

"I'm just trying to be the one following orders."

"That's your new order," Kaneki spat, curling his trembling fingers into tight balls.

"Fine." The ghoul dipped his head in a mock display of submission. "As you command, One-Eye." He turned slightly, exposing an icy shoulder to the white haired ghoul. He paused for a second, perhaps weighing the cost and benefits of curiosity.

"What'd this guy ever do to you anyway?"

Kaneki hesitated before glancing away. He subconsciously reached to touch his chin, but the thick material of his mask got in the way. He brushed against the leather and fabric for a moment before dropping his hand to his side.

"He…he killed an old friend."

Rakko nodded, satisfied by the answer. After all, it was an answer that hinted at the investigator's inevitable death—just by the hands of Kaneki instead.

Kaneki watched Rakko leave before turning and dashing towards the southern side of the warehouse. It was where the other investigator said they were heading. He had to reach him first.

 _Hide…what are you doing? What have you done?_

* * *

Amon surveyed the entrance in front of them with a displeased frown. Either a ghoul attack or Mother Nature had destroyed that side of the warehouse, leaving the entrance a mere crumbled pile of concrete and steel.

"We...can't get in, can we?" Seidou asked after another pause.

"No," their superior grunted, tightening his grip on his Quinque until his knuckles turned white. "We'll have to go in through another entrance. Let's try the main entrance. We should be able to find ghouls there." He hesitated before asking if Hide had heard the message.

There was a crackle of static before Hide's chipper _"understand"_ echoed in their ears.

The investigators quickly ran to the other side of the building, managing to avoid being detected by any type of sentry. _Probably since they're just waiting for us inside,_ Amon mused, not feeling particularly comforted by the thought.

From the moment they entered the warehouse, the investigators were in a battle for their lives. A cackling ghoul dove immediately at Seidou' exposed back and was promptly decapitated by Akira's Quinque.

"Th-thanks," he mumbled, clearly shaken by the near death experience. However, he quickly got over it, managing to fire an entire round of bullets into a nearby ghoul, too distracted by inhaling a dead soldier's intestines.

Within moments, the tiny team was covering in bruises and slashes, and the number of ghouls seemed unchanged. Conversely, the number of viable investigators was declining sharply, leaving only a few able bodied soldiers. However, after another intense round of blows, only the most experienced ghouls remained to fight the surviving investigators.

Panting and holding a shallow wound on her side, Akira surveyed the room, searching for her next opponent. She scoured the shifting shadows, keeping her chimera Quinque close at hand, ready to lash out at any sudden movement.

She never thought to look up.

"It's a pity I won't be able to consume you. Your power would lend me strength to crush your friends."

Akira's wide, icy gaze darted up, but she heard it before her eyes could register what was happening. A grinning ghoul with jagged teeth tucked his kagune back to his side just as the steel girders of the warehouse roof screeched as they grated against one another, still smoking from where he had sliced them. A large section of the beam broke free from the rest of the roof and tumbled towards a petrified Akira.

" _Akira!"_

* * *

He promised himself that he would wait at least ten minutes, at least out of courtesy for his agreement with his superior; however, after nine minutes, he couldn't handle waiting anymore. Especially if the Aogiri were present inside. It might just be his chance to finally see Kaneki—

Hide made his decision with a deep breath and a hard swallow. Staying primarily in the shadows, he skirted around the warehouse walls to the main entrance, trying desperately to not be caught without a weapon. He wasn't sure how he could help, but there had to be something he could do.

He skidded to a breathless stop in front of the warehouse entrance just in time to see a steel beam fall from the ceiling. He traced the object's path, horrified to note that it was heading straight for Akira, unmoving as the sudden death sped towards her.

Hide opened his mouth to shout, but his superior's voice cut through the din instead.

" _Akira!"_

The blond watched as the older man raced towards the girl and bodily slam into her, knocking the both of them out of the steel beam's path. It slammed into the concrete floor a mere second later, kicking up a cloud of gray, powdery debris. Hide was about to release his pent up breath when he noticed something troubling. As the smoke and dust cleared, he was relieved to note that Akira was already climbing to her feet. However, Amon was still stuck on the ground, writhing to free his pinned leg from underneath the mangled beam.

Soon realizing what had happened, Akira immediately dropped to her knees and began to strain against the heavy metal, trying to lift it enough to let her partner pull his broken leg out from underneath the steel beam.

 _She can't do it alone,_ Hide realized with another start. He felt his feet moving in the girl's direction, completely oblivious to any ghouls in his periphery.

"Seidou!" Akira's voice was shot with desperation and fear as she yanked at the metal with little success. The brunet turned slowly and his eyes widened at the sight. He moved towards the pair, but another ghoul launched herself at him, keeping the young investigator distracted.

By then, Hide had made it to the steel beam. At the sight of the young man, Akira started and jerked up from her crouched position by Amon.

"Nagachika?"

Amon stirred at the girl's voice and sent a half-hearted glare in the boy's direction. Before he could reprimand the blond for disobeying orders, Hide dropped to his knees and dug his fingers in the twisted metal.

"Take that end and lift," he urged the blonde investigator, giving her an encouraging smile.

Akira nodded once and reclaimed her place on the opposite side. However, even with the boy's assistance, they could not lift the beam off Amon's leg.

"Seidou!" Akira shouted again, scanning the emptying warehouse for their partner. Within seconds, the brunet crashed to his knees beside them, panting and bleeding from a slice to the forehead.

"On three?" Seidou offered, to which the others responded with determined nods.

Keeping an eye on the battlefield, Hide strained with the others to lift the steel girder off their superior. After a moment of tense pulling and grunting, the heavy metal groaned and rose, giving the decorated investigator just enough time to hastily drag his leg away.

Unable to hold the beam any longer, the three junior partners dropped the metal and quickly pulled their toes back before they were crushed.

"We need to get him out of here," Akira panted, glancing from Hide to Seidou.

Seidou's bright gaze shifted from his partners to his fallen superior. "Nagachika and I can take him if you can watch our backs."

"I can do that," Akira nodded, bending down to scoop up her Quinque. Her expressionless mask returned as she surveyed the remaining ghouls.

A low cackle echoed around them, causing the hair to rise on the back of Hide's neck.

"Isn't it sweet? A bunch of juniors trying to save their senior. It'd be easier to just leave him to _me._ "

Akira slanted her chin down, revealing a frosty cold gaze. She wouldn't let herself be a victim to this ghoul twice.

The blood-covered ghoul tilted his head as he considered the young woman before him.

"Hmm… _Blonde_ , but not a boy. Too bad."

Ignoring the man's words, Akira let a confident smirk temporarily slip across her pressed lips. She studied his kagune, noting the writhing tentacles, poised to strike.

"Hmm…" she mimicked in an equally condescending tone. "A _rinkaku_ kagune. Too bad." The girl's blue eyes flared dangerously as her expression darkened. "You could've been a fine Quinque if you were a bikaku instead."

The ghoul's eyes widened in fury, no doubt remembering a comrade who had been turned into a CCG weapon. He pulled back the multiple strands of his kagune before swinging them in Akira's direction. She swiped at the largest protrusion, barely grazing it with the tip of her Quinque, before the ghoul's kagune changed directions. With a playful swat, it struck the struggling procession of Amon, Seidou, and Hide, all trying to drag the former to safety.

"No!" Akira shouted, reaching out to her partners as the ghoul's kagune crashed into them. All three went flying. Seidou, who took the brunt of the hit, uttered a weak groan before falling still. The blonde raced towards them, swinging her Quinque behind her, managing to temporarily drive off the last lingering tentacles. She skidded to a stop, spinning back around to face the ghoul, gloatingly snapping his kagune as he approached the girl.

Hide groaned and rolled onto his stomach, sluggishly regaining a hold on his senses. Although he had been thrown the furthest from the rest of the group, he had managed to roll a few feet, lessening the force of a sudden impact. He blinked at the ongoing action, clearing the stars in his vision just in time to see Akira grunt as she jerked her Quinque at the ghoul's darting tentacles.

 _She can't hold him off for long._

Hide swallowed and took a steadying breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Seidou's discarded gun. Hoping to not distract the ghoul prematurely, he carefully slid his body towards it. He stared down at the unfamiliar weapon, wishing he had asked the brunet earlier how to work it. If he didn't figure it out soon, the rest of his tiny team would be dead.

"It looks like I'll get to eat you after all," the ghoul smirked, revealing his jagged, uneven teeth in a grotesque smile.

"You probably wouldn't like me."

"You don't know that. I'll just have to try and see if I like the taste."

Hide scanned the gun again and pulled on the trigger. Instead of firing as he hoped, the gun gave a loud click, indicating an empty clip.

 _Dammit._

He looked back to the ghoul, worried that the sound might have alerted the creature, but he was too consumed with the thought of eating a full meal to turn his head.

"I'm a bit tough to chew."

"I'll just have to soften you up then."

"Tch," the girl spat, bending slightly at her knees to prepare for her next attack.

Hide glanced back down at the gun in his hands. He couldn't shoot it, but there was another option. Rearing back his shoulder and arm, he launched the useless weapon in the ghoul's direction. It hit its target, smashing into the back of the ghoul's head and falling to the ground with a metallic clatter.

There was a moment of silence as all eyes slowly turned on the young investigator.

Hide was the first to react, taking a hesitant step back. The ghoul, either infuriated to be distracted from his meal or embarrassed by being attacked by an empty gun, snarled at the boy and took a menacing step to compensate for the human's hasty retreat.

His kagune relaxed as his body quivered with rage. Seeing an opportunity to catch the ghoul off guard, Akira tensed her muscles. With a low grunt, she swung her Quinque with all her might at the distracted ghoul. However, without even tearing his thunderous glare from Hide, the ghoul caught the writhing weapon in his flaring tentacles. He yanked the girl's weapon, forcing her to release it from her grip to prevent being dragged into one of his spikes. He flicked the weapon out of the investigator's reach, keeping one projection dagger sharp and poised at the girl's throat to keep her still.

"Would you mind waiting for a moment?" The ghoul began casually as he advanced on Hide. "I have to deal with a small problem, but then I promise I'll turn my attention back to you," he assured the young woman.

Hide tore his wide gaze from the ghoul for a moment to briefly scan the empty warehouse. As he had hoped, his team and the ghoul were the only living things left in the room. If he drew the monster away, it could be enough time for Akira to get the others out. His eye caught on a darkened doorframe with the door discarded to the side, completely ripped off its hinges. He wasn't sure where it would lead, or if it was just a dead end, but he had to try it.

To try to throw off the ghoul, he turned his head towards the warehouse entrance from where he had come. The ghoul followed the teen's line of vision, catching sight of the path to freedom. The ghoul's stained smile grew as he backed towards the door, intending to cut the teen off. Instead, he only managed to put more distance between the two of them.

As he had hoped, the ghoul had moved further away, banking on the boy's human instinct to retreat to a familiar location. His little trick had only spared him a few seconds of a head start, but he prayed it would be enough to outrun an inhuman ghoul. The blond inhaled deeply to steady his nerves before darting in the opposite direction.

" _Nagachika!"_ Akira's scream barely broke through his concentration.

Hide's combat boots squeaked loudly as he ran through puddles of sticky, spilt crimson. He pumped his legs and arms furiously, ducking around the door's corner. He paused for a millisecond to take stock of his surroundings, relieved to see the door led to a wide hallway with multiple exits. He squinted in the darkness, feeling blind after escaping from the faint glow of the illuminated main bay of the warehouse complex.

He could hear the enraged roar of the ghoul close behind him as the monster struggled to catch up. Hide studied the rooms, quickly considering which exit to take. He sprinted towards the second door, again relying on the ghoul's superficial knowledge of human behavior to search the closest door first. Hide burst into another empty concrete bay, significantly smaller than the previous one. Unlike the first, however, this one was brightly lit by nearby streetlamps pouring directly into the broken glass windows. Hide narrowed his eyes in the overwhelming light and searched for another exit. His adjusting gaze landed on an obscure door on the second pass and he raced towards it.

His trembling fingertips scraped the cold handle when something sharp impaled his calf. A pained cry sprung from the boy's dry lips, which rose to a louder scream when the kagune yanked him back, ripping deeper into his pale flesh and muscle. Hide crashed to the ground, falling face first on the cool concrete with a low grunt. The piercing tentacle released its grip on the teen's leg, giving the boy a weak respite and enabling him time to twist into a seated position.

"You thought you could hide?" The ghoul sneered as he entered the room fully. He retracted his blood-dripping tentacle, running a thin finger over the crimson stained kagune and licking the liquid off the digit. He made a deep throated hum of approval at the taste before smiling again, revealing his trademark, sinister sneer.

"It was the blood. On your shoes, on your body. The scent of it was _everywhere._ " Hide glanced down at the floor, horrified to notice incomplete crimson footsteps lining the concrete from the door, ending at the larger pool of his own blood.

The boy scrambled backwards, using his palms and the heel on his uninjured leg to gain purchase.

"Still, it was hard to finally catch you." The ghoul continued, unconcerned by the teen's fruitless attempts to escape. "You're a smart boy, and I think I'll reward you by eating you nice and _slow!"_ On the last word, the ghoul's kagune shot out from his waist and wrapped themselves around Hide's neck and torso. The teen gasped and struggled in the tight grip, trying to free himself with no success.

The ghoul flung the boy behind him, relishing the loud _smack_ as the boy's soft frame collided with the concrete wall. The older man followed the sporadic blood trail to the prone investigator and frowned. During the impact, the teen's helmet had come slightly undone, revealing a vibrant shock of blond hair. The ghoul tilted his head and stared at the exposed hair with a blank expression.

Rakko considered the faint rise and fall of the human's chest, repeating his superior's violent warning over and over in his mind. It would be so easy to eat the teenager completely, leaving no evidence apart from a few fingers, but the ghoul knew he would be risking his own life for a mere meal.

"Pity."

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading!** Let me know what you think. Any suggestions would be welcome. Regardless of what twisted path this takes, I'll probably wrap it up in two or so long chapters, so it won't be too long.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Not a thing.

 **Author's Note:** Oh my gosh! Thank you so much for the amazing feedback! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this so far! Hopefully this next chapter won't disappoint!

* * *

Kaneki's boots pounded the concrete floor of the warehouse as he raced towards the south entrance. His labored breaths echoed around him, but they weren't quite loud enough to drown out his troubled thoughts.

 _Hide… What are you doing here?_

A uniformed human stepped into the half-ghoul's path, swinging a glowing Quinque with a determined expression.

Kaneki almost growled out loud at the looming barrier. _I don't have time for this._ With an agitated grunt, the half-ghoul leapt to the side, nearly avoiding being impaled by the weapon. When the man gave no indication of backing down, Kaneki's scowl deepened as he made his decision.

 _I need to get to Hide now. I can't drag this out any longer._

Kaneki's kagune erupted from his back in an explosion of steam and crimson. His narrowed gaze landed on the investigator's right leg before darting back to the his face. Usually Kaneki simply broke their Quinques, rendering them incapable of fighting. Although his form of mercy often got him into trouble with his less sympathetic superiors in Aogiri Tree, he preferred the substantial lack of blood and death that often triggered his rawer side.

He had a sickening feeling Aogiri would be pleased with his next action.

Diverting the investigator's attention with one of his rinkaku protrusions, he knocked the man's Quinque out of his hands with another piece of his kagune. The human fumbled for something in his pocket to protect himself against Kaneki, but the half-ghoul quickly finished his attack by wrapping one of his razor-sharp tentacles around the man's upper leg. With a half-mumbled apology in his mind, Kaneki jerked his kagune back, cleanly amputating the man at the mid-thigh.

The investigator toppled to the ground with a pained cry as crimson drops exploded from the wound. Kaneki stumbled back, his keen senses temporarily overwhelmed by the sight of blood and loose flesh.

 _bLOood! BlOoD!_

Kaneki mashed his lips together, gritting his teeth behind his leather mask. It was getting harder and harder suppress the bloodthirsty screams rattling in his skull.

How long had it been since he last ate?

 _ToO lONg…_

 _FaR tOO L-LoNg…._

 _(He won't need that leg anymore…)_

Kaneki forcefully shook his head with a deep-throated growl to dislodge the inhuman desires. He didn't have time to eat, nor could he trust himself to stop with a single, discarded limb. The investigator, who had previously been drilling the half-ghoul with a resolute, unafraid glare, faltered at the sight of the conflicted teen backing away. The unnaturalness of a ghoul abandoning an easy kill frightened the seasoned investigator.

Even as he turned away from the injured human, Kaneki could almost feel the disbelieving shock thunder across the man's features before morphing back into unadulterated hatred.

Kaneki certainly could feel the burn of rage aimed at his back.

 _Let him hate me for not killing him. I have other things to attend to._

Leaving the bleeding man to his own fate, Kaneki quickly scanned the warehouse to regain his bearings.

 _Damn him for throwing me off. Which way was I going?_

The white-haired teen squeezed his eyes shut, fully aware of how dangerous it was to do so in a room filled with armed investigators, and concentrated on his memorized layout of the warehouse complex. Satisfied with his hastily produced map, Kaneki spun on his heels and rushed past several ongoing battles. He ignored the eager cries of his companions, requesting for his assistance. He drowned out the screams and grunts of pain as both sides ripped flesh from one another.

Once, an overly ambitious investigator tried to catch him unaware. However, Kaneki caught the glowing glint of the Quinque in his periphery vision. His kagune responded accordingly, bursting from his mid-back and meeting the victim with a warm squelch. Not even bothering to tear his gaze from the path ahead, Kaneki retracted his weapon and tried to ignore the sweet liquid dribbling down his kagune.

He couldn't afford to be distracted.

Finally Kaneki reached the south entrance, skidding to a stop in the dim warehouse bay. His wide eyes absorbed every detail and every slumped body. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see blond or not.

 _I don't see him…_

Kaneki inhaled deeply, trying to catch a scent of his best friend, but the tantalizing scent of human blood distracted him too much to concentrate.

Another, harsher thought nagged in the back of the boy's mind, bubbling its way to the surface with painful malice.

 _It's been so long since you've seen Hide. You've probably forgotten what he smells like._

Trying to avoid the inevitable wave of panic, Kaneki squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled again, pouring all of his concentration in dragging up the memories of his best friend.

 _How long's it been? Months, at least._

He could see Hide's wide grin and crinkled eyes, though the corners of the human's face seemed a little blurry. Kaneki pushed deeper into his memories, savagely shoving aside the hissing, snickering murmurs of his mind's manifestations of Yamori and Rize.

 _But can't you remember how_ delicious _your friend smelled?_

 _You wanted to eat. Him. All. Up._

Kaneki's eyes flew open and he wisely decided to give up on searching by scent. His gaze wandered towards the destroyed entrance, noting the rubble and mangled steel. To a ghoul, it was a minor barrier. However, to a human, it was impassible.

 _His squad probably couldn't enter this way. They must've come in another way._

Kaneki resisted the urge to curse under his breath. If he had been in more control, he could have kept the dead investigator's comlink and tracked Hide more effectively. Instead, Kaneki had crushed the device at the mere sound of his best friend's voice, allowing human emotions like shock from superficial betrayal to overwhelm him.

 _You didn't want Rakko learning where he was. He can't be trusted—he would have killed Hide and called it an accident just for spite,_ he countered in his head, trying to convince himself that he did the right thing.

He squinted in the dim light, scouring the assembled investigator bodies to find another viable communication device. After another brief moment of silence, he heard the metallic crackle of an earpiece's static.

Kaneki rushed towards the sound, quickly prying the piece of tight-fitting plastic away from the corpse's cold ear. He pressed the crimson stained device to his ear, waiting breathlessly for a voice he recognized.

A hoarse scream echoed through the warehouse complex. It wasn't loud by any means, but something about it seemed familiar to Kaneki. Familiar enough to trigger his inhuman senses and cause the hairs on the back of his neck to rise.

The comlink slipped from Kaneki's limp fingers.

He may have forgotten the exact smell of his best friend, but he couldn't forget the sound of his voice.

* * *

 _"Nagachika!"_

Despite the risks to herself, Akira's first reaction was to jerk towards the action, towards the defenseless teen. However, she forced her trembling limbs to remain still as their most inexperienced teammate dashed out of sight, pursued by a ruthless, starving ghoul.

 _You'll never see him again._

Akira cursed under her breath, curling her limp fingers into hard fists. She wanted to follow him, but her own injuries would only have put them both in danger.

 _You can't help him now. He gave you the chance to get the others out—so_ take it!

She forced her body into action, lurching towards Seidou first. He was still unconscious, but as she gingerly rolled him to the side, she was relieved to note that the faint trickle of blood from his hairline had already began to dry.

Grunting at the effort, Akira wound her arms underneath Seidou's splayed limbs and tugged him backwards.

 _At least he isn't heavy._

It was a struggle to move the investigator's deadweight without aggravating the pain in her own damaged leg. Each inch gained felt like it took an eternity, even though Akira was fairly sure she had only been dragging her teammate for a few seconds. She tossed a hopeful glance over her shoulder, pleased to realize that she was only a few feet from the warehouse entrance.

A loud scream echoed through the warehouse complex, causing the blonde investigator to falter mid-tug and drop her hovering foot with a heavy _thud._

 _Nagachika…._

Akira swallowed thickly and focused her bright gaze down on her unconscious teammate.

She had no doubts in her mind now that Nagachika's actions were intended to be suicidal. She should have known there was no possible way he could have expected to survive after leading the ghoul away from the rest of his injured team.

 _That…he…_

She took a shallow, calming breath to steady her whirling mind.

 _Get a hold of yourself. I have to get the others out before that monster comes back. It'll only be a matter of time._

With another muted grunt, she poured every bit of her broiling rage and regret from not being able to save the blond in her aching muscles. Although her actions were jerky and tense, she yanked her unconscious teammate faster across the concrete floor. Dropping him off at a safe distance a few feet from the entrance, Akira spun on her heels and limped towards her superior.

He was barely conscious, though from his pinched, pale expression and his roaming, sightless eyes, Akira realized he was too far out of it to fully comprehend the situation.

"We have to go _now,_ " she urged in a firm whisper. She had no idea how long they had until the ghoul returned.

Amon's dark eyes focused on her face and he gave an imperceptible nod, breaking free from his stupor in an impressive show of control. Akira looped her arms underneath her superior's armpits and strained to pull him towards the entrance. Although he was significantly heavier and bulkier than Seidou, the investigator was able to help by pushing himself across the floor with his uninjured limbs.

Still, their progress was painstakingly slow. Each squeak of Amon's foot slipping against the pooled blood and Akira's labored grunts echoed loudly in the deathly silent warehouse. It wasn't as if they needed to be quiet—after all, the ghoul knew exactly where they were. However, it was easier to hear for any suspicious sounds in the silence. Sounds like footsteps or eager lip smacking.

They were only a few feet from the entrance when the sound of crunching gravel filled the empty warehouse. Hazy rays from vehicle headlights illuminated the bay, bouncing around the metallic girders of the warehouse. Immediately, armored soldiers and paramedics poured from the idling vans.

Akira would have collapsed in exhausted relief if she hadn't been supporting Amon. Their reinforcements were finally here; even if the ghouls returned, she would already be on her way back to the CCG headquarters.

 _"Here's one of ours. Unconscious, but alive."_

Akira squinted at the entrance, suddenly blinded as a bright light stabbed at her unadjusted eyes. She narrowed her eyes at the flashlight beams as shadows poured into the warehouse. One of the lights dimmed as a blurry figure approached her.

"Mado-san?" She recognized the voice as belonging to a fellow investigator. Slowly her eyes acclimated to the change in lighting, absorbing the worried young man in front of her.

"Are you injured?"

Akira shook her head automatically, considered the question, and then frowned. "Tend to my teammates first," she answered instead.

"We've already loaded one of them in the ambulance." He considered the blonde and her superior. "Are you the only two left?"

"No! There's anoth—" Akira quickly began, twisting her head to the exit where she had seen her other teammate disappear. However, she was cut off mid-sentence as paramedics swarmed her, gently pulling Amon out of her grasp. Another medic knelt down by her leg, prodding her bleeding injury carefully with a gloved finger.

"We need to get this stitched up now," he muttered, straightening up.

"Wait, there's an—" she tried again, growing frustrated at being drowned out. The man continued to ignore her protests and forcefully bustled her towards the parked vehicles. Unable to do much else, Akira reluctantly complied, tossing another desperate glance over her shoulder at the darkened doorframe. More investigators entered the warehouse bay, spreading out through the room to search each huddled mass for signs of life. Several had already disappeared through the back exit.

Akira watched them go, knowing they would either return with Nagachika's half-eaten corpse or his barely breathing body.

She sighed and allowed the medic to guide her to the van. There wasn't anything else she could do but wait.

* * *

As he raced back through the warehouse complex, he had to avoid even more investigators as they hovered over the wounded and deceased. Sticking close to the shadows, Kaneki leapt from the metal catwalks to the elevated support beams, creating his own route through the enemy inhabited industrial building. A few alarmed shouts echoed below him as the humans caught his erratic movements. Twice, muzzle flares caught in his periphery as half-hearted bullets ricocheted around the steel rafters, but for the most part, Kaneki was left alone by the preoccupied investigators.

They each had their own missions to accomplish.

Kaneki dropped from one of the metal girders with a soft _thud_ before straightening up. Not even pausing to brush the dust and grime off his cloak, he continued his hurried journey towards the sound of his friend's scream a few moments earlier.

He almost burst into the room, but controlled his hasty entrance in the last second. Kaneki threw himself backwards into the shadows, breathing through his nose to not attract any fatal attention. Several uniformed investigators were milling around a puddle of blood while another scratched at a clipboard with a pen.

"There's no one else here."

There were a few mumbled words too hard to make out. Kaneki strained his ears to catch the next utterance.

"Time to move out then?"

"No…not yet. Let's split up to search the next room and then meet back here. Maybe someone'll know what actually happened." The investigator sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Kaneki couldn't make out his face, but it didn't matter, as he was only looking for one particular individual.

The other humans grunted their agreement to their comrade and together they left the room. Releasing a pent up breath slowly in the dank air of the warehouse bay, Kaneki crept from the shadows and stared down at the puddle of blood they had been standing over.

 _He's not here anymore._

Kaneki took a tentative sniff, hating the unavoidable rumble in his gut at the vivid, alluring smell of freshly spilt blood.

 _If he had been here, the investigators would have taken him with them. A ghoul must have gotten him first then._ The thought of his subordinates following his orders was strangely unnerving.

He swallowed thickly, inhaling again to catch another whiff of human blood. He couldn't help it.

He chastised himself for dwelling far longer than necessary on the scent. _It's_ Hide's _blood,_ he angrily reminded himself. _You shouldn't be enjoying it! It means he's in danger._

It had been so long since he had any contact with his best friend. This stunted reunion seemed far too cruel, far too inhuman.

Kaneki froze as the realization struck him. He had been so concerned about finding Hide, he hadn't stopped to consider _what_ his friend would see as his guardian angel.

 _He…he would see me. As a ghoul._

 _No… After all this time. After all I did to keep him safe—he would find out. He would hate me._

 _Hide would hate me._

Doubt blossomed in his mind, twisting his friend's bright smile into a furtive smirk. The looming feelings of betrayal writhed in his gut as he thought back to his first reactions upon hearing Hide's voice on the comlink.

 _But_ why _is he here? Hide would never join the CCG unless—_

 _Unless he already knows._

The reverberations of his pounding heart echoed loudly in his chest, repeating the sentence as if each word were a separate beat.

 _Unless. He. Already. Knows._

 _Unless. He. Already._ Knows.

Kaneki dismissed the thoughts with a vicious shake of his head, causing the zipper on his mask to rasp and rattle against the leather binding.

 _It's impossible. He_ can't _know. If he knew, he's never go looking for a monster like me,_ he concluded. _Hide was just in the wrong place at the wrong time._

 _(Was he looking for me?)_

Kaneki's fingers rose to the strap on his mask and thoughtfully drummed against the thick fabric. Although he preferred the anonymity from his trademark mask, he felt that if he kept it on any longer, he would suffocate in the stale, leather-tasting air. He had no idea on how to save his best friend, but taking the mask off and breathing in the fresh air helped to suppress the icy panic clawing its way up his windpipe.

He inhaled and exhaled twice, relishing the peace and silence, before turning away from the puddle of blood.

He had to find Hide, regardless of the cost.

* * *

The moment the needle made its last round through her skin, Akira jumped off the table, ignoring the indignant squawks of the paramedic, and marched towards the first investigator she saw.

"Yori-san!"

The investigator turned casually, partially still invested in his current conversation. However, at the sight of the blonde's determined expression, his smile dropped as he stiffened in respectful attention.

"Akira-san," he blinked, glancing from the woman's still raw injury to her stony stare. "Are you badly inj—"

"Do you know the status of my squad?" she interrupted, preferring to get straight to the point.

"Oh, uh, yes!" Slightly flustered by her directness, the investigator fumbled with the clipboard in his hands. He scanned the listed names with squinting eyes, murmuring each name before jumping to the next. Akira waited with pursed lips, her patience ticking away with each syllable.

"Uh, let's see… Erm… Oh! Here!" The investigator's gaze darted briefly to Akira's unimpressed expression before returning to the report.

"Koutarou Amon… Injured, but not in critical condition by any means. It seems like just a minor fracture to the left tibia." Despite herself, Akira felt an eyebrow rise in mild surprise. She had been fairly certain that the beam would have caused more damage to her superior's leg than that.

"Seidou Takizawa… He was still unconscious last time we checked, but his vitals seemed to be strong." Akira released a small sigh of relief, grateful that the annoying brunet seemed to be fine as well. She hesitated before asking for the third name.

"And Hideyoshi Nagachika?"

The investigator scanned through the names twice before shaking his head. "No… I'm sorry. He isn't on here." He looked uncomfortable all of a sudden, though Akira attributed it the uncertainty of the mission as a whole.

Akira nodded before forcing a weak smile to ease her comrade's nervous frown. "Thank you for looking, Yori-san." She turned to leave, but paused, lips parting as she considered her next words.

"Is there someone else you want me to look for?"

"No," Akira began slowly, "but I was curious about your list. Is everyone who took part in the mission supposed to be on it?" _Maybe Nagachika wasn't supposed to even go with us after all._

Yori avoided her gaze and swallowed. Akira studied the pale man as a lump visibly rose and fell in his throat.

"Only the wounded." He licked his lips and nodded to a somber investigator behind him. "He has the list of the fatalities."

She followed his gesture, locking onto the man with narrowed eyes. Thanking the man again for his time, Akira set off towards the new investigator.

"Is that the updated list of fatalities?"

"So far, yes." He glanced at her and pulled his pen from the paper. He offered her the clipboard, knowing far too well what the bright glint in her eye meant. Akira quickly grabbed it with a murmured "thank you" and began to scan the list of names. Although she recognized a few of the deceased investigators, there had been many more on the injured list.

She frowned when she reached the end. She flipped the piece of paper back and forth, glancing at the stark white backside and the faint pen indentations on the clean page underneath.

 _He…isn't on here either…?_

"Is this all…?"

The investigator nodded once, then twice. "They're still pulling a few bodies from inside. As they come out, I record the names," he answered.

"I see."

Akira glanced back towards the main warehouse entrance. The paramedics and her uninjured comrades were routinely carting out lumpy black bags and covered masses on stretchers. It was only a matter of time, she supposed, before they brought out her fallen teammate.

Determined to be of some use, she strode back inside the warehouse, carefully stepping over puddles of spilt crimson and the lifeless corpses of the dead ghouls. She paused at the threshold that Nagachika had disappeared through before crossing into a hallway.

Akira glanced down and mashed her lips at the crusty trail of dried maroon footprints leading to the second door. Although in the darkness they would have been imperceptible to the human gaze, the footsteps would have been a simple path to follow for a ghoul with sharp senses. Now in the blinding light of the CCG emergency lamps, she could see how easily Nagachika had led the ghoul to a fresh kill.

Upon entering the secondary warehouse bay, she quickly spotted the investigators hovering over something in the corner. Suppressing the squirming weakness in her stomach, Akira marched towards them, forcing a hardened frown across her features to prepare for the inevitable.

Along the way, she almost felt as if something was watching her. She turned her gaze towards the steel rafters before shaking her head, dismissing the ridiculous sensation. She was only stalling, knowing perfectly well what she was trying to avoid seeing. Akira resumed her traveling with another soft sigh.

However, once she reached the circle of coworkers, she stumbled to a stop at the puzzling sight in front of her.

Instead of spying Nagachika's mangled, partially consumed corpse, she only saw a puddle of dark crimson. To the side, she spotted the young man's discarded helmet, which had rolled a few feet from the thick liquid. One of the paramedics noticed her presence and offered her a grim smile.

"Did you already move the body here?"

He shook his head and turned his gaze back to the puddle. "No, there wasn't anything here. Strange, don't you think?"

Akira frowned at the man's words. _There wasn't anything here?_ She glanced back towards the discarded helmet and the trail of blood droplets leading to another puddle on the other side of the room.

She didn't want to raise her hopes that he had managed to escape, especially considering that Nagachika was inexperienced and unarmed. However, she reminded herself that the young man _had_ joined their team upon suspicious circumstances _and_ he was absent from both complied lists of casualties.

Akira bent down to scoop up the teen's discarded helmet before straightening up and pinning the nearest person with a firm stare.

"Hideyoshi Nagachika—he's a missing investigation assistant."

"Ma'am…they're still a lot of missing investi—" he began cautiously, holding his hands out in a placating manner towards the blonde.

"He isn't here and there's no blood trail leading to a body. Ghouls don't just drag dead investigators to their hellholes for midnight snacks," she snapped, shoving the helmet into the paramedic's outstretched hands. "He's somewhere, so _find him."_

Spinning on her heel and trying not to stagger from the jagged dart of pain from her reopening injury, Akira stalked out of the warehouse bay.

She needed to find her superior.

* * *

With clenched fingers wrapped in collar of the human's uniform, Rakko studied his new possession with an unamused lift of an eyebrow.

This _is what One-Eye wanted alive? He's barely more than an appetizer._

Rakko brought the boy closer to his face, peering at the blond's bruised and blood crusted face.

 _How could_ this _kill another ghoul? He didn't even have a weapon._

Rakko continued to examine the unconscious human. With each deep inhalation of the boy's sweetly scented blood, his hunger grew and his desire to follow One-Eye's orders weakened.

Thankfully, he only had to wait a few moments for his superior to arrive. One-Eye skidded to a stop, his leather half-mask dangling from his clenched fingers as he glared at Rakko.

"Rakko," the younger ghoul growled, the earlier fury tinging his normally passive tone.

"Ahh, One-Eye," Rakko lazily drawled, allowing a carefree smile to stretch across his crimson flecked lips. "I believe our mission was a success. We killed many investigators despite—"

 _"Drop him."_ The words were frigid and sharp.

"Hmm?" Rakko feigned surprise, enjoying how his superior was struggling to reign in his conflicting emotions.

"I _said, drop_ him."

"As you wish," Rakko echoed his previous statement, making sure to layer enough false sincerity to cause the half-ghoul's eye to twitch. He lifted the limp human a few inches in the air and loosened his fingers. The blond crumpled to the ground in a dark gray and crimson pile, remaining still and quiet.

Rakko glanced back towards his superior, noting the twisted, pale expression on One-Eye's face. _It looks…it almost looks like he's scared. Of what though?_

 _Could that weakling have actually killed another ghoul?_

He didn't know much about One-Eye. Even the rumors surrounding the half-ghoul's mysterious rise to prominence in Aogiri's ranks seemed vague at best. Obviously, there was something between his superior and the unconscious human.

Rakko intended to find out what that connection was.

* * *

For a terrifying moment, Kaneki feared that he was too late. When he reached the room they had previously established as home base, all he could smell was his best friend's blood. As he burst into the room, barely holding back his ragged pants, Kaneki's narrowed eyes fell on Rakko's triumphant grin as he held the suspended human in the air.

The ghoul made a sardonic comment, but Kaneki didn't hear it. Instead, his attention was focused on his unconscious best friend, bleeding and bruised after being forcefully apprehended by Rakko.

 _I thought I told him not to hurt him,_ Kaneki growled in his mind. Once he figured out how to get Hide out of the psychopath's malicious grasp, he would make sure to punish his subordinate for failure to follow orders.

 _"Drop him,"_ Kaneki heard himself mutter in a low, deepened voice. He repeated the demand when the ghoul feigned ignorance, straining to control the writhing anger coursing through his veins.

After another silent standoff of wills, Rakko sighed and tossed the human towards Kaneki. The sight of his best friend collapsing like a torn ragdoll caught Kaneki by surprise, causing a lump to rise in his throat. He quickly swallowed it and steeled his expression back to casual disinterest, but he was painfully aware that Rakko had caught his divulging flicker of emotion.

After all, there had to be a reason for the ghoul's muted smirk.

Kaneki tore his suspicious glare from the ghoul and glanced down at his beaten best friend. The prone human smelt so strongly of blood that it turned his stomach, forcing Kaneki to breathe shallowly through his mouth.

"I don't know what's such a big deal about him. He's just some shrimpy human," Rakko made a face at the unconscious investigator before shaking his head in disbelief.

"But… I think _Ayato-san_ will want to see your new pet," he tossed over his shoulder on the way to the door.

Kaneki waited until the ghoul's sharp, echoing footsteps died down before dropping to his knees beside his best friend. He held a trembling hand over the boy's still shoulder before retracting it.

"Hide…?" Kaneki whispered weakly instead, half hoping the teen wouldn't stir. He still had too much to sort out in his mind before he could begin to share everything that had happened to him in the past few months.

The blond remained silent, face relaxed in a peaceful expression with his pale lips faintly parted.

Kaneki swallowed before gently tucking his arms around his best friend. With a soft grunt, he hoisted Hide into the air with one arm supporting the boy's knees while another cradled his shoulder blades. Unable to restrain himself, Kaneki buried his face into the blond's soft hair, inhaling the sweet fragrance of his shampoo. He wondered how he could ever forget the scent of his best friend, the scent of home. It was so comforting to feel the warmth pouring from the human's body as Kaneki held Hide against his chest. He tried to ignore the hot, sticky dribble of liquid that trailed from the human's leg and down Kaneki's sleeve.

The last time Kaneki had seen his best friend so damaged and battered was after Nishiki had ambushed them. Kaneki had failed them both by being too weak, and it had almost gotten Hide killed.

No matter what it took, he wouldn't fail him again.

* * *

 **Thank you so much for reading! Also, thanks for your reviews, favorites, and follows! Let me know what you think!**

(Side note... Distressed!Kaneki is such a mess to write, 'cause that boy's mind is everywhere. Also, so psyched to finally start exploring that CCG team dynamics with Hide/Akira/Amon/Seidou. They're the cutest.)


End file.
